Coconut oil and curated closets – November fashion and beauty

November’s fashion and beauty books bring a guide to the curated closet, as well as a recipe book for making your own coconut oil beauty products at home. We take a look at the long and enduring relationship between fashion and film, and also the role of masculine identity in menswear. We also have a brand new Alexander McQueen book, featuring never-before-seen images from his famous fashion shows.

The curated closet : a simple system for discovering your personal style and building your dream wardrobe / by Anuschka Rees.
“Lifestyle blogger Rees’s first book, based on the blog Into Mind, is a fun and practical guide to discovering one’s personal style. The goal is for women to easily choose an outfit that they like every single morning, to wear a large portion of clothes from their closet, and to be able to dress for their own lifestyles. To begin, readers are encouraged to document their own outfits for two weeks (taking a photograph every day), observing their favorite and least favorite looks, colors, fits, and garments. From there, Rees advises readers on how to revitalize their personal style and build a fully wearable wardrobe. Refreshing and thorough, Rees delivers a fashion-forward guide that’s awesomely sensible.” (adapted from Publisher Weekly)

The Fashion of Film: How Cinema has Inspired Fashion: Fashion Design Inspired by Cinema [hardback]
“Since 1911, the industries of film and fashion have been closely intertwined; designer collections that draw upon the glamour of the cinema are enticing for potential consumers. And costume, of course, serves as creative inspiration to designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, and John Galliano. These connecting threads are pulled together neatly by Butchart, fashion historian and associate lecturer at the London College of Fashion. She explores 45 iconic films across the genres of crime, musical, historical epic, horror, romance, sf, and art house. This survey of international scope will be of interest to both fashionistas and cinema buffs.” (adapted from Library Journal)

Men and style / David Coggins, with forward by Glenn O’Brien.
“Men and Style reaches beyond standard “what to wear” advice: It is equal parts style guide and intriguing conversation about the masculine identity within the world of fashion. David Coggins explores the history of men’s style and learns from some of the most notable tastemakers in the industry and beyond. Its essays and interviews discuss the lessons men learned from their fathers, the mistakes they made as young men, and how they emerged to become better men. Some of the most dapper men in the world discuss bad mustaches, misguided cologne choices, and unfortunate prom tuxedos. Men and Style celebrates singular men who’ve lived well and can tell us about how they earned their worldview.” (Adapted from publisher’s website)